Mariano Scognamiglio, owner and chef of the restaurant "Da Mariano" in Arezzo, is known for his appearance on the television program "Quattro Ristoranti," hosted by Alessandro Borghese, four years ago. After facing a crisis and a change of location, Mariano has decided to permanently close his business.
In an interview with ArezzoToday , Mariano explained the reasons for his failure. “I closed because things weren't working out at the restaurant. There was a disconnect with the city, and I moved to an area with little tourism, which had a significant impact on my business. In recent years, I've faced a lot of negativity, especially on social media. People who don't know me have judged me mercilessly.”
About a year ago, Mariano had tried to raise money to avoid closing the restaurant. Mariano, who ran the restaurant with his partner, attributed the decline of his restaurant to two main causes. First, after finding out through Borghese's program that he is gay, some people allegedly "sabotaged" his business. Second, of course, there is the impact of the pandemic, which has hit many restaurateurs hard.
Mariano also expressed concern about the possibility of losing his home. "We opened a restaurant, and in 2019 we appeared on a television program that gave us some visibility, but ultimately proved to be our doom. Our relationship wasn't accepted in our city, and the whole of Italy learned that we were a same-sex couple. To make matters worse, the Covid-19 pandemic forced us to close for two years without any income or institutional support," he explained in a letter.
“From the photos, you can see for yourself what people think of us and what we had to endure… We were forced to endure discrimination simply for being ourselves. This led to the collapse of everything we had built with so much sacrifice, and now we risk losing our home… Without work and without a home!” Mariano continued.
Mariano, a native of Naples and longtime Arezzo resident , began his career as an actor. He worked in theater for twenty-five years and played a doctor in "Un Posto al Sole" for five years. After years of pursuing his passion for cooking, Mariano is now dedicating himself to his new role: teaching.
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